To whom it may concern – please forward to all interested parties / post to all relevant lists and message boards:



SALE / ADOPTION NOTICE:

This morning the Today Show aired a segment on the county-mandated extermination (capture and freezing) of black spiny-tail iguanas (Ctenosaura similis) on Gasparilla Island in Florida. Iguana Busters is a private company which is live-trapping the iguanas and has them available for adoption / rescue / sale right now as an alternative to euthanasia by freezing. Every iguana adopted will not be killed as long as they can be adopted out on the day of capture. New individuals are arriving daily. Anybody can apply – we are especially looking for pet wholesalers and exporters as well as private individuals. There are hundreds available for the cost of shipping. FWC and USFWS have been notified and are fully cooperating. Shipping methods have been established. Theses are healthy very high-quality Ctenosaura similis of all sizes and ages. Please contact Iguana Busters at their website www.iguanabusters.com.

Every iguana that can be adopted / sold will not have to be killed by the end of the day. Please help!

Susanne Kynast susanne@maineline.net



SITUATION REPORT / ACTIVISM REQUESTED:

A lot of you were appalled by the iguanas being stuffed into freezers on the Today Show. Here is a critical update on the issue:

There are approximately 10,000 Black spiny-tailed iguanas Ctenosaura similis on Gasparilla island. They are invasive there and the residents want them gone or at least their numbers dramatically reduced. Like any invasive species they cause damage to native species, with probably the biggest issue being sea turtles. When the ordinance change exempting iguanas from protection came into effect, island residents started a free-for-all iguana killing spree with horrible consequences. Iguana Busters is a company attempting to help by removing iguanas professionally. Iguana Busters does not want to kill the iguanas if there is another option. They are willing to create holding facilities for adoption, and ship iguanas to new owners. What we need are people willing to organize an adoption campaign and reptile keepers willing to adopt. Most importantly we need anyone interested in relocating those animals back into their native range. THE KEY PROBLEM IS THAT LEE COUNTY IS ACCEPTING BIDS FOR A CONTRACT TO KILL ALL IGUANAS ON THE ISLAND. THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY LIVE SOLUTIONS AND ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT CRUELTY. Iguana Busters was considering bidding on the county contract but they are not interested in the whole-scale killing of the iguanas. Iguana Busters does NOT need your comments on humane euthanasia. In order to save the iguanas of Gasparilla island you need to protest to Elizabeth Walker at walkerl@leegov.com who is the public resources manager in charge of the iguana issue and who believes that killing them by any means is the only right thing to do. Copy your protests to Scott Trebatoski at strebatoski@leegov.com who is the Director of Animal Services in Lee County and very receptive to a humane solution, the Lee County government at questions@leegov.com, and Bonnie McGee from the iguana committee on Gasparilla island at bocabee1@comcast.net. Send information on inhumane euthanasia as well as your opinion on relocation. I offered the pet trade, adoption, and relocation into their native range as options, but Elizabeth Walker was only interested in killing them. The company which wins the contract will be FORBIDDEN to allow any iguana off the island alive! It will be up to you to change her mind. They will be meeting on the extermination contract on Tuesday October 31. PLEASE make all your concerns known to them as quickly as possible. HERE IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY MAILING!! PLEASE HELP!

As far as Iguana Busters is concerned, they will adopt out! Inform yourself on this species and e-mail me at susanne@maineline.net with any help you can give. If YOU can find a place for those iguanas to go, they will not die. If YOU adopt one, it will live.

Please help and God bless!

Susanne Kynast







THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT UPDATE ON THE GASPARILLA ISLAND IGUANA
SITUATION - PLEASE FORWARD
Sorry for the cross-post, just needed to get this critical update out to
everyone!
This update applies to 'Iguanas on Today Show' and 'Freezing Iguanas'
There has been an extremely important development. We have found a way to
save all the iguanas, but unless all of you take immediate action it will
not work!!!!!
We need people to sign and e-mail a petition TODAY to ask the town to remove
the euthanasia requirement from the trapping contract.
Because there are nearly hourly updates on the situation I have created a
newsletter within yahoogroups. The petition and all the information on the
issue is in the 'files' area. The address is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scienceactionnet/ (Science Action Network) You
will have to join to get access and notification of new uploads. You cannot
post to the group (it is set up as a newsletter only). For questions please
e-mail me at susanne@maineline.net.
PLEASE JOIN AND HELP SAVE 10,000 IGUANAS TONIGHT!!!!
This site also explains what happened to the Iguana Busters website and the
adoption program. Thank you so very much to everyone who has expressed an
interest in adopting! I apologize for not having gotten back to each of you
individually, I am extremely grateful for your support but have worked 24/7
on this issue for the last few days and have just had no time to answer,
especially since the situation keeps changing so rapidly!!!!
PLEASE JOIN AND TAKE ACTION!
God bless,
Susanne
susanne@maineline.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scienceactionnet/

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Zane Neher.

The great and strong man is one who bears within his character many contradictions.
Crocodilian care.

Hello,

I am receiving the same error. The site no longer is up.

This is what they have to say:

IGUANA BUSTERS IS SHUT DOWN

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Looked on the todays show website, and dont see anything from TODAY about it but from april. Theres a webcast of todays show but im to lazy

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12316869/

edit side note here

So we just make the problem worse by adopting them out....thats nice

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Cute.

I wonder if we can volunteer to help with the study and solution.

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Zane Neher.

The great and strong man is one who bears within his character many contradictions.
Crocodilian care.

hey why dont we just round up and destroy humans that are harsh on native habitat. perhaps evolution meant for these iguanas to inhabit these areas. makes me sick to destroy something just because it happens to be in the way of people.

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Head bobs from Jorge, Jade, and Myself =)
http://community.webshots.com/user/steve38108